Follow live: Astros-Pirates game starts after rain delay

PITTSBURGH — After a 56-minute delay on a rainy afternoon, James McDonald and Henry Sosa have gone to work.

It’s supposed to be a messy week in Pittsburgh and the rain has already begun, propelling this series opener, set for 12:35 p.m. CT, into a delay. The best day is supposed to be Tuesday, and while the teams have a mutual off-day on Thursday, playing Thursday would not be ideal as it would push the Pirates past 20 games in 20 days. Anything beyond that requires permission from the Players’ Association.